UP, UP AND AWAY AS FREAK WEATHER STRIKES

A BOY was knocked off his chair, cricket gear whisked away, and a beer tent picked up, when a series of ‘mini-twisters' hit fetes in the area during a scorching Saturday.

Sandy Lane School in Bracknell, Winnersh Primary School and Sonning Hockey Club all experienced bizarre weather conditions in which gazebos were lifted up to a kilometre into the air and a stall smashed.

Elizabeth Norris, headteacher of Sandy Lane School, looked on as a whirlwind hit the school fete.

She said: "It lasted about 45 seconds and when it finished the field was strewn with litter, it was a scene of devastation. We were all left in shock.

"I would not be able to guess how big or how fast it was, but it was very substantial and had terrific force."